Shi’ah
Concept of Temporary Marriage (Mut’ah)

by Dr. Ahmad 'Abdullah Salamah

Foreword

The religious beliefs and practices of Shi'ahs differentiate and
segregate them from the entire Muslim Ummah. The Shi'ahs have specific beliefs about the
attributes of Allah, the attributes of Allah's messengers, the position and
mission of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the reliability of the Qur'an. They
even have their own unique moral codes. Unfortunately, because of their
clannish nature and secretive preaching, very few people have proper knowledge of
their beliefs and practices.

History vouches for the fact that since its inception, Shi'ism has
been shrouded in mystery. The initial preaching and propagation of Shi'ism was
only through word of mouth.

None of the Shi'ah Imams left any documentary evidence of their
teachings. It is a strange
paradox that the Shi'ahs claim to follow Imam Ja'far when, in fact, Imam Ja'far
(may Allah be pleased with him) did not even leave any evidence of having
compiled a Fiqh.
And later, when the Shi'ahs started writing about their beliefs, such writings
were meant only for Shi'ahs. Sunnis did not even have access to them.

Contrary to the universal and basic teachings of monotheistic
religion, Shi'ism teaches its followers to conceal their faith and hide their
beliefs. Two of their basic doctrines, known as kitman and taqiyyah, are primarily designed to achieve this purpose.
The belief in kitman
commands the Shi'ahs to conceal their religion from non-Shi'ahs. The following
two so-called "hadiths"
from the sixth Shi'ah imam,
Ja'far as-Sadiq, clearly elaborate this point:

"One who exposes something from our religion is like one
who intentionally kills us."1

"You belong to a religion that whosoever conceals it -
Allah will honor him; whoever reveals it Allah will disgrace and humiliate him. 2

Furthermore, the belief in taqiyyah commits Shi'ahs to put up a hypocritical show
and to act in such away that non-Shi’ahs may never be exposed to real Shi'ism.
It even allows them to tell a lie if their intention is to hide their religion
from non-Shi’ahs. The following Shi'ah narrations testify clearly to this
effect:

ZarSrah narrated: "I asked a certain question of Imam Baqir,
and he gave me its answer. Another person then asked the same question, and the
imam gave him a different answer. Later, a third person asked the same
question, but the imam's answer that time was different than the previous two
answers. I then asked him, 'O son of the messenger, the two persons who just
came here to ask you questions were from Iraq and were Shi'ahs, yet you gave
them contradictory answers.'
The imam then answered, 'O Zararah, this is good for me as well as for
you, and this will help us survive and prosper."4

Because of such beliefs both the Muslim Ummah and Western scholars have very
little genuine and reliable knowledge of Shi'ah beliefs and practices. However,
most of the openly declared Shi'ah beliefs revolve around the concept of imamah, the superiority
of 'All (may Allah be pleased with him), and the so-called love of the
Prophet's family members. As a result, the intense love that Sunni Muslims
carry for the Prophet's family members combined with the magnanimous
personality of 'All has led some Sunnis to accept the Shi'ahs as part of the
Muslim Ummah.

However, the brutal fact remains that under the pretense of 'Ali's
superiority and the so-called love of the Prophet's family members, Shi'ahs
have literally evolved an entirely new religion, grossly distorted the
teachings of the Holy Qur'an, and completely rejected the sanctity and
authenticity of the Hadith.
They have elevated the sayings of their imams to the level of the Prophet's sayings and have
classified them as Hadith. For all practical purposes, they
reject the most authentic sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) and base their religion
on the so-called hadiths
attributed to their imams.
By doing so they have rejected one of the most fundamental principles of

Islam: the law
can only be derived from the sayings and actions of the Prophet (PBUH), not any
other human being.

This work is the third in a series comparing Sunni and Shi'ah
beliefs. The first two booklets are SunniandShi'ah PerspectivesonIslam and Sunni and Shi'ahPerspectiveson theHolyQur'an. The Shi'ah
belief in the sanctity and blessings of temporary marriage, called mut’ah, is dealt with
here.

The present study gives only a glimpse of the Shi'ah belief
regarding mut’ah.
All quoted citations used in support of their beliefs come from the most
authentic and original source books of the Shi'ah faith - two of the earliest
Shi'ah commentaries on the Qur'an, two of the earliest Shi'ah books ofHadith, and two of the
earliest Shi'ah books of fiqh,
along with a few other references, including words from the late Shi'ah imam, Ayatullah
Khomeini.

Dr. Ahmad 'Abdullah Salamah

Sha'ban 1414 / January
1994

A Summary of the Shi’ah Concept of Mut’ah

Mut'ahis Arabic word which means
"enjoyment." Actually, it has a deep religious connotation and draws
a line of demarcation between the Shi'ahs and the rest of the Muslim Ummah. The books of Hadith and Fiqh written by Shi'ah
scholars define mut'ah
as "a temporary marriage contracted for a fixed period in return for a
compensation." The belief in the sanctity and virtues of mut'ah is an integral
part of the Shi'ah faith. In contrast, the rest of the Muslim Ummah considers mut’ah as
prostitution.

Shi'ahs justify their belief in mut’ah with the following verse of the Qur'an, and they
claim that this verse was revealed specifically to declare the sanctity of mut’ah:

The Shi'ahs also claim that mut'ah was openly practiced during the Prophet's lifetime
and that it was the second caliph, 'Umar, who forcefully prohibited this
practice. They even go to the extent of saying:

"Thebelieverisperfectonlywhenhehas experiencedmut’ah."6

Sunnis acknowledge that mut’ah was a common practice during the pro-Islamic days
of ignorance (jahiliyyah)
in Arabia. It is stated in at-Tirmidhi's book of hadith in the chapter on marriage that when a man would
go to a strange village where he had no acquaintance, he would marry a woman
for as long a period as he thought that he would stay so that she could take
care of him and his property. This practice continued during the early days of
Islam until the Qur'an revealed:

The ShorterEncyclopediaofIslam also states that
mut'ah was a
common practice among Arab travelers and goes back to the fourth century A.D.
"When a stranger came to a village and had no place to stay, he would
marry a woman for a short time so that she would be his partner in bed and take
care of his property." Caetani also concluded that mut’ah in the pagan period was religious
prostitution that took place during the occasion of hajj.8

Thus, mut’ah
was a loose sexual practice during the pre-Islamic days of ignorance in Arabia.
Being an old and established institution, it continued during the early days of
Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) also allowed it temporarily on two other occasions,
but only under strict, exceptional conditions during the conquest of haybar and
during the conquest of Makkah - fearing that those Muslims whose faith was not
yet strong might commit adultery during jihad. Shi'ahs widely quote hadiths in relation to these events to
support their continued belief in mut’ah. Sunnis accept these hadiths but add that they happened before
all of the revelations of the Qur'an were revealed and the religion completed.
Historians and commentators on the Qur'an and hadith agree that Islam eradicated most social evils in a
gradual way. It is well known that practices like gambling, drinking, and the
eating of pork and blood were common during the early days but were gradually
prohibited. Likewise, it seems probable that mut’ah was first forbidden to those at Khaybar in the
year 7 A.H. and was then completely prohibited to all upon the conquest of
Makkah in 8 A.H. Several traditions of the Prophet (PBUH) regarding mut'ah are well
documented in books of.hadith, such as
the following:

According to al-Bayhaqi, Ja'far as-Sadiq, the sixth Shi'ah imarn, regarded mut'ah as
fornication."11 And ‘Ali is reported by ad-Darqutni to have said that mut'ah was abrogated
when the Qur'anic verses about marriage, divorce, 'iddah.'12 and inheritance
were revealed."13 Additionally, there are four hadiths quoted in Saheehal-Bokhan under the title "The Prophet Finally
Forbade Mutah." Three of these relate to the incidents of mut’ah during the
early period of Islam. In the fourth hadith 'Ali said to lbn 'Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH)
forbade mut’ah
and the meat of domesticated donkeys on the day of Khaybar. And in SaheehMuslim a group of
traditions, which go back to Sabrah bin Ma’bad, substantiate that the Prophet
(PBUH) permitted mut’ah
in the year of the conquest of Makkah. Sabrah went with a companion to a woman,
and each offered her a cloak in exchange for mut’ah. She chose the younger person with a shabbier
cloak (i.e., Sabrah) and slept with him for three nights. Thereafter, the
Prophet (PBUH) forbade it forever.

A Shi'ah might object to the aforementioned information because it
is from Sunni sources. The fact is, however, that the Qur'an itself negates the
Shi’ah concept of mut’ah.
But first, the verse the Shi'ahs present in support of their belief in mut’ah, describing the
classes of women with whom marriage is forbidden, should be examined. The last
part of the verse reads:

This verse clearly emphasizes the concept of chastity through
regular marriage. Mut’ah,
on the other hand, is an open license for sexual pleasure with as many women as
one can financially afford. The women who engage in mut’ah are hired women; thus, it can be
performed with all women irrespective of their age, character, conduct or
religion. It requires no witnesses, nor is there any obligation on the man's
part to provide food and shelter to the woman. The only precondition is that
the woman agrees to the price and the length of the mut'ah and that the man pays her the
compensation when he has relations with her. One can discern for himself
whether such a practice leads to sheer promiscuity or promotes chastity.

Two terms in the verse under discussion are used by Shi'ah
commentators to allow mut’ah.
The first word is "ujur"
(pi.of ajr),
which means "compensation"; the second is "istamta'tum" which can be
translated as "what you have enjoyed." So the end of the verse could
be translated: "But give them their compensation for what you have enjoyed
of them [in keeping with your promise]." Shi'ah commentators claim that "ajr" refers
to the price of mut'ah
agreed upon by the two parties. On the contrary, Sunnis state that it refers to
the mahr (bridal
money given by the husband to the wife).

Similarly, Shi'ahs explain the term "istamta'tum" as the physical act of
consummation. However, this is contradicted by the following Qur'anic verses:

"There is no blame upon you if you have divorced women
whom you have not touched [i.e., the marriage has not been consummated]or
specified for them a mahr. But give them [a gift of] compensation
[matti’uhunna]. The wealthy has his capability and the poor has his capability
– a provision [mata’an] according to what is acceptable, an obligation upon the
righteous.”15

“They had their enjoyment [fastamta’u] of their portion, and you
have had enjoyment [fastamta'tum] of yours as those before you enjoyed
[istamta'a] theirs.”
16

"Their friends among men will say, 'Our Lord, we enjoyed
[astamta'a] each other but have reached our term"17

"O Prophet, say
to your wives, if you desire the life of this world and its glitter, then come,
I will provide for you [umatti'kunna] and set you free in a handsome manner."18

“O you who have
believed, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have
touched them, no period of waiting have you to count in respect to them. So
give them provision [matti'uhunna] and set them free in a handsome manner.” 19

"And on the Day that the disbelievers will be placed
before fire, [it will be said to them], 'You used up your good things in the
life of this world and
enjoyed [wastamt'tum] them.'” 20

All of the aforementioned Qur'anic verses contain words with the
root letters of the word “mut'ah”
(m-t-'a), such as “istamta'tum",
which is a derivative. Yet, none of the verses gives even a hint or connotation
of the meaning interpreted by the Shi'ahs. The Shi'ahs do not relate any of
these verses to the their concept of mut'ah. One may thus raise the question that if a word
used on six different occasions in the Qur'an does not refer to temporary
marriage, then how can the same word in a single verse refer to temporary
marriage? It should be noted that the Qur'an continues with this statement:

"So many them with the permission of their families and
give them their dowers according to what is reasonable. " 21

Such a case is only possible in a regular marriage since these
conditions are not necessary in mut'ah. Although the Shi'ahs present the previous verse
in support of their belief in mut'ah, they completely ignore this verse, which follows
immediately thereafter. The fact is that Shi'ahs are very selective in their
quotation of both Qur'anic verses and hadiths. They always present only those that agree with
and corroborate their specific beliefs while completely ignoring others. Thus,
while quoting verse twenty-four of Surah an-Nisa' and ignoring verse twenty-five, they also
"forget" the six other verses that use the same terminology.

The Muslim ummah
unanimously upholds that mut'ah
is abrogated by all of the Qur'anic verses that speak about marriage, divorce,
inheritance, dower, the guardian's permission, the 'iddah of divorced and widowed women,
etc. And the following verse leaves no doubt that mut'ah is completely forbidden and
unlawful:

"...And those
who abstain from sexual inteicomse except with their wives or those [women]
whom their right hands possess.” 22

Explaining this verse, lbn 'Abbas said, "All other ways of sexual contact
except these two are forbidden." 23

As previously mentioned, Shi'ahs claim that it was 'Umar who forbade
the practice of mut'ah
and that mut’ah
was openly practiced during the lifetimes of the Prophet (PBUH) and Abo Bakr.
In fact, Sunnis acknowledge that 'Umar again24 declared mut’ah to be illegal, but they also state
that he did not make the ruling from himself. 'Umar was elected caliph just two
and a half years after the Prophet's death. Present around him were the
respected family inembers and noble companions of the Prophet (PBUH). Had 'Umar's
declaration been contrary to the Prophet's practice, a number of these noble
people would have objected to it. Yet, nowhere in Islamic history is recorded a
single protest against his announcement. Furthermore, since 'Umar was later
succeeded by 'Uthman and then 'All, had 'Umal's statements been contrary to the
ruling of the Prophet (PBUH), at least one of them would have reestablished the
sanctity of mut'ah.
Again, there are no records of such abrogation. Oddly enough, ‘Ali left behind
a voluminous book, Nahjil-Balaghah,
wherein he presented various aspects of Islam and the Muslim state. However,
not a single word in favor of mut'ah is mentioned in it. Had 'Umar been wrong, nothing
would have prevented 'All from condemning it in his writings. The fact is that
ever since the Prophet's death there has been a consensus among the Muslim ummah about the
illegality ofmut'ah. Perhaps some
people might not have been aware of its prohibition and subsequently contracted
it after the Prophet's death; however, when 'Umar found out about it, he made another
public declaration against it and enforced the ruling as the caliph and head of
the Islamic state.

The Shi’ah Fiqh of Mut’ah from
Their Own Sources

The following citations from the most authentic Shi'ahbooks,
regarded as the basic sources of Shi'ah beliefs and practices, elaborate on the
concept of mut'ah.
They need to be analyzed in order to determine if mut'ah promotes chastity, as desired by
Almighty Allah or if it, instead, leads to religious prostitution and
debauchery.

The Proceeded for Contracting Mut’ah

When Hisham Salim asked how one should contract mut'ah, Imam Ja'far
as-Sdiq answered that one should say, "I am marrying you for this period
of time for this amount of money. When the prescribed period is over, there
will be annulment, and there will be no 'iddah after this." 25

No Divorce or Inheritance Involved in Mut'ah

The narrator asked Imarn Baqir about the women of mut’ah. The imam said, “She is not
among those four [women classified as wives] because she neither needs a
divorce, nor is [a child born of her] entitled to any inheritance. She is like
a hired woman!" 26

No Need for Witnesses or Open Declaiation

"There is no need for witnesses or any open declaration in mut’ah.” 27

The Price of Mut’ah

The narrator asked Imam Ja'ftr as-Sadiq, "What should be the
minimum compensation for mm'ahl'
The imam
said,"Anything that the two parties agree upon."28

The Inexpensiveness of Mut’ah

The narrator asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq what the minimum compensation for mut’ah could be, and
he answered, "One fistful of wheat."

The Least Costly Mut'ah

Mut’ah is a marriage that may
last for a very short time. It needs no witnesses, and it has no period of 'iddah. The minimum
compensation that could be paid to the woman for sexual relations is one dirham (i.e., less
than 25 cents)."29

The Convenience of Mut'ah

Aban bin Tughlaq related that he said to Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq,
“Often during my travels I come across a very beautiful woman and am not sure
if she has a husband or if she is an adulteress or if she is one of dubious
character," The imam
responded, "Why should you worry about all of these things? Your
duty is to believe what she engage in mut'ah with her.” 30

Mut'ahisAllowedwithWomenofDubiousCharacter

The narrator asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, "In al-Kufah there is a woman
known for her dubious character. Can I engage in mut'ah with her?" The imam said, "Yes, you may engage in mut'ah with
her."31

Mut'ah with Numerous Women

Zararah said, "I asked the imam [i.e., Ja'far as-SSdiq] with how many different girls
one can contract mut’ah.
He answered, ‘with as many as one likes. These women are like hired girls.” 32

Numerous Sexual Gratifications in Mut'ah

One my have sexual relations with the woman contracted for mut'ah any number of
times he desires."33

An Open License with All Women

Mut'ah is allowed with all types
of women. She may be a virgin, married, widowed or may belong to any sect,
group or religion. She may be a Christian, Jew or Muslim.34 However, mut'ah with a Majusi
(Magian) woman is permissible only when one is helpless."35

Mut'ah with One Thousand Women

If one desires, he may have mut'ah with one thousand women since these are like hired
women."36

Mut'ah with a Young Girl

Jameel bin ad-Dari said that he asked Imam Ja'fiar as-Sadiq if mut'ah was permissible
with a virgin girl. The imam
said, "There is no harm in it if the girl is not too young. However, all
of the collectors of hadith
agree that a nine-year-old girl is not considered too young."37

The Commission of Mut’ah

'Ali asked the Prophet (PBUH),38 What is the reward of the person
who participates in the virtuous deed of arranging the mutual meetings of a man
and woman?" The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He will receive the same reward
as the two who engage in mut’ah.”

BlessingsofMut’ah

The Prophet (PBUH) said,39 "The man who contracts mut'ah once will be
saved from the Hellfire. One who contracts it twice will be in the company of
vitreous men [in Paradise]. And the one who contracts it three times will be my
companion in firdaws
[the highest level of Paradise]."

Mut’ah - A Blessing from Allah

No one can close the door of blessings which Allah opens for His
servants, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq said, “Mut'ah
is one of the blessings of Allah."40

Mut'ah - A Security for Paradise

If a man contracts mut'ah once in his lifetime, Allah will grant him
Paradise.41

Mut'ah - A Savior from Shirk

One who contracts mut'ah is saved from shirk (the greatest sin of ascribing partners to
Allah).42

Mut'ah-APardonfromAllSins

The father of Saleem bin 'Aqabah said that he asked Imam Ja'far
as-Sadiq if there was reward in agreeing to mut’ah. The imam said, "Yes, if it is practiced for seeking the
pleasure of Allah and to oppose those who deny the sanctity of mut'ah.

Thus, when a person engages in mut’ah, all of his private talking to the woman is
recorded as virtues. When he extends his arms towards the woman, this is also
written as virtue. When he engages in the sexual act with the woman, Allah
forgives all of his sins. When the two take a bath, Allah showers His blessings
upon them and forgives their sins equal to the amount of hair [on their
bodies]." The narrator inquired in surprise, "Equal to the amount of
hair on their bodies?" The imam replied, "Yes, for every one single hair [wet
by the water]. But their reward is reduced by the amount of hair that may not
be wet."43

Mnt'ah-APardonofSinsforPracticingWomen

It is narrated by Imam Baqir that the Prophet (PBUH) said,
"When I was being taken to Heaven during the Mi'raj (ascension), Jibreel met me and
told me, '0 Muhammad, Allah has promised to forgive all of the sins of those
women who practice mut’ah.”44

DenyingBeliefinMut'ah

One who does not believe that we (i.e., the Shi'ah imams) will reappear
and role (the world in the future) and one who does not believe in the sanctity
of mut'ah is not
from among us.45

Punishment for Not Performing Mut'ah

The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'The men and women who die without
performing mw'ah
even once in their lives will appear on the Day of Judgment with their ears and
nose cut and [their faces] deformed.” 46

Mut’ah - A Safeguard Against the Hellfire

Imam Ja'ftr as-Sadiq narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that one third
of the body is saved from the Hellfire if one contracts mut’ah once. Two thirds of the body is
saved if one contracts mut’ah
twice, and the whole body is saved from Hell if one contracts mut’ah three times. " 47

Mut'ah - A Deed of Allah's Virtuous Servants

It is narrated that once the Prophet (PBUH) was sitting among his
companions and the discussion came to the topic ofmut'ah.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Do you know what is the reward of mut'ah?” The
companions answered, "No," The Prophet (PBUH) then said,
"Jibreel just came to me and said, '0 Muhammad, Allah sends His blessings
to you and commands you to instruct your ummah to engage in the practice of mut'ah since this is
the practice of [Allah's] virtuous servants.” 48

Mut'ah - A Ladder to the Stages of Piety

One who engages in mut'ah once gets the status of Imam al-Husayn. One who
engages in it twice becomes equal in status to Imam al-Hasan. The one who
performs it three times reaches the position of Imam 'Ali. And he who practices
it four times acquires the level and position [equal to that] of the
Prophet(PBUH)." 49

Great Reward for Women Who Donate Their Compensation

For the woman who donates back her compensation to the person who
contracts mut'ah
with her and for the woman who foregoes her dowry, Allah will reward her with
40,000 cities of light and 70,000 dresses of velvet and tfi3/(silk
brocade)...And Allah will reward her with 70,000 more dresses from Heaven for
each quarter of a dirham
she donates back... And for each quarter of a diiham Allah will also assign 1,000 angels who will
continue writing virtues in her account until the Day of Judgment. 50

I'arat al-Furuj (Loaning of Vaginas)

The Shi'ah books of fiqh carry a separate chapter entitled "I’arat al-Furuj"
This could literally be translated as "The Loaning of Vaginas." Under
this heading the Shi'ah imams have discussed the various conditions under which
a woman can be temporarily given to another person. The books give details as
to how a woman can be loaned only for the pleasure of seeing her naked body or
for the pleasure of enjoying her lasses or for the pleasure of having sexual
intercourse with her. Most of these descriptions are very explicit and are not
even worthy of being reproduced here. The following are a few of their milder
quotations:

A man asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq if it
was permissible to temporarily loan a woman to another person. The imam said,
"It is not permissible." Then he hesitated for a moment and added,
"There is no harm if one offers his slave girl to one of his
brothers." 51

Imam Abu 'Abdullah [Ja'far as-Sadiq]
said, "If a person allows another person to kiss his slave girl, then such
a kiss is permissible, and the man should be contented with the kisses
alone; but if he offers him her vagina, then everything is permitted. "52

A narrator stated, 'I said to Imam Abu
'Abdullah [Ja'far as-Sadiq], 'a few of our friends have narrated from you that
if a person offers his slave girl to another person, she is permissible to
him.' The imam responded, this is correct... ' I asked, 'a certain person has a
fine, beautiful slave girl who is a virgin. He keeps her only for himself but
says to one of his brothers to enjoy the girl except her vagina. Would sexual
intercourse be lawful with her?' The imam said. No, enjoy what is permitted to
yon by your brother.' I further asked. What if that man gets carried away by
his desire and engages in sexual intercourse?' The imam said, this would be
very improper.' I then asked, Would that man be called a fumigator?' The Imam
said. The man would not be called a fomicator. Rather, he would be called
dishonest. If the girl was a virgin, he should pay to the master one tenth of
her price; otherwise, the fine will be one twentieth of the price of the slave
girl.’” 53

It must be pointed out that these sayings of the Shi'ah imams and their
interpretation of the Holy Qur'an should not be taken as their personal views.
The Shi'ahs claim that it was Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) who made mut’ah a blessing for
the Muslim ummah. The
following citations by Imam Abu 'Abdullah Ja'far s-Sadiq further explain this
Shi'ah point of view:

Two basic points should be made concerning the aforementioned
quotations. The sayings of the Shi’ah imams in Shi'ah doctrines are classified as 'hadith’ Technically;
Shi'ahs make no distinction between the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) and those
of their imams.
The quotations given in earlier pages thus occupy the status of 'hadith" in their
eyes and serve as the foundation of the Shi'ah faith and practice. Furthermore,
all of the citations in the preceding pages are from the most authentic and
original Shi'ah sources. Tafseer
al-Qummi and TafseerMinhajas-Sadiqeen are two of the earliest and most reliable
Shi'ah commentaries on the Qur'an. Additionally,

Usulal-Kafi and Furu'al-Kafi the most fundamental and original sources of
Shi'ah hadith.
The earlier editions of both "Kafis" had an inscription on the title page,
reading: According to Imam al-Mahdi, this book is kafi [sufficient] for our Shi'ahs."
The other two books quoted from are Tahdheeb al-Ahkam and ManLaYahduruhul-Faqeeh. These
are classified among the four, basic source books of Shi'ah beliefs called al-Kutubal-arba'ah and are
regarded as the most reliable sources of Shi'ah fiqh.Usul al-Kafi and Furu'al-Kafi are the other two
books from these four.

All citations given in the preceding pages thus come from the most
respected Shi'ah sources of hiadth and fiqh. Consequently, the belief in the sanctity, blessings
and merits of mut’ah
constitutes an integral part of the Shi'ah faith. Thus, it is not possible for
someone to consider himself a Shi'ah and not believe in the sanctity and merits
mut'ah.

Now it is left to the reader's judgment to decide if the practices
of mut’ah are in
harmony with the tenets of the Qur'an and the Prophet's teachings. Would such a
practice establish a society based upon piety, righteousness and chastity, or
rather, would it open the doors for lust, lewdness and debauchery? It is clear
from the aforementioned presentation that this type of society would
necessarily be opposed to a society based upon the Sunni interpretation of the
Qur'an and hadith,
in which mut’ah
is totally forbidden and regarded as fornication, adultery and prostitution.

Unfortunately, very few people realize the significant differences
between Sunni and Shi'ah beliefs. Most Shi'ah writings and preaching revolve
around the emotional issues of love for the Prophet's family members, the
virtues of 'Ali, the martyrdom of al-Husayn, etc. A number of people are
attracted to Shi'ism because of the sensitivity and emotional nature of these
issues. They do not realize that Shi'ahs have grossly misrepresented the
Qur'an, as well as distorted and forged hadiths. The concocted belief in the sanctity and virtues
ofmut'ah is a classic
example of such distortion.

Islamic history has shown that wherever Shi'ahs have gained
political power, the sanctity of mut'afi was enforced even at the cost of human life.
During the reign of Akbar (the great Mongol emperor in India), the chief
justice, Qadhi Ya'qub Manikpuri, was sentenced to death for his verdict that mut’ah was not
permissible in Islam.57 Many people coming from the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent
would testily to the fact that a number of Sunni heads of state in undivided
India embraced Shi'ism only to justify their lust for free sex, while claiming
to practice mut'ah.
The brutal fact is that when prostitution was legalized by the British in
undivided India, a great many prostitutes were initially from the Shi'ahs,
perhaps practicing it as a virtuous deed.

It seems appropriate to conclude this discussion with the following
questions; If an Islamic state is established based upon Shi'ah doctrines or if
the Shi'ahs are allowed to practice their religious beliefs, who would organize
the "religious duty" of supplying young girls with which one could
engage in the practice of mut'ah?
Would the state or the Shi'ah community issue religious licenses to a
few virtuous women to take up the profession of mut'ah on a full-time basis or would devout Shi'ahs allow
their wives, mothers, sisters and daughters to participate in the virtues of mut'ah in their free
time? Moreover, how would these girls be religiously different from the
prostitutes sitting in a brothel? Indeed, not one of the Shi'ah books of hadith or fiqh has yet answered
these questions.

Epilogue

As previously mentioned, none of the references cited in the
previous pages come from the earliest and original Shi'ah sources. Therefore,
one could perhaps say that these sources are obsolete and that the contemporary
Shi'ah scholars and literature do not propagate such beliefs about mut'ah. In order to
dispel such misconceptions, presented below are two citations from the work of
Mullah Baqir Majlisi, whom Ayatullah Khomeini considered to be an authority on
Shi'ah beliefs.

It should be recalled that Majlisi (d. 1111 A.H.) is one of the most
respected Shi'ah scholars. He wrote approximately sixty very comprehensive and
voluminous books. In several of his writings Khomeini has referred to Majlisi's
works. As a matter of fact, Khomeini recommended in his Kashfal-Asrar that Shi'ahs read Majli’s
books.58 One of Majli’s books deals exclusively with the virtues of mut'ah. It has been
translated into Urdu by a contemporary Shi'ah scholar named Syed Mohammad Jafar
Qudsi and is entitled Ijala
Hasna. The following quotations are from these recent sources:

To conclude this discussion, aquotation from Ayatullah Khomeini is
presented:

It is permissible to engage in mut’ah with a fornicator woman but with a disliking in
[one's] heart, especially if she is a well-known and professional fornicator.
When a person contracts mut'ah
with her, he should advise her to quit the profession of fornication."61

In other words, a man should first have his sexual gratification
with a prostitute and then should advise her to quit her profession. Could this
be Islam? Isn’t it obvious which belief Sunni or Shi'ah, represents the
authentic religion of Islam? Should one enjoy the "virtues" of mut'ah or accept
Islam, which is free from such corrupt practices?

For the benefit of a casual reader, who may have been grossly
mislead by the references given in earlier sections, it must be reiterated that
never did the Prophet (PBUH), 'Ali, or Ja'far as-Sadiq declare the "sanctity and
blessings" of mut'ah.
The fact is that none of the authentic books of hadith document any of these statements;
instead, in order to justify mut'ah, Shi'ahs have wrongfully attributed these
statements to such noble people and have subsequently hurt the reputations of
these magnanimous personalities of Islam.

Bibliography

The art of writing bibliographies in Eastern literature is vastly
different from that in Western literature. Most Eastern bibliographies quote
only the book's name, followed by the author. Citations of publishers and the
publication year are not generally found. This is because, in the past, most
books were published by the authors, and each book had only one publication. As
such, it is very difficult to write the bibliographies of Shi'ah sources.
Shi'ah publishers consistently alter the sequence and contents of their
original books. Two recent publications of the same book often have two
different sets of information. Strangely enough, when a Shi'ah publisher
reprints a book, he often changes its contents. Thus, two editions of the same
book by the same publisher may also have two different sets of information.
Consequently, a researcher may find difficulty in locating the cited pages of
Shi'ah books. All of the references given in the preceding pages, however, are
authentic and come from reliable Shi'ah and Sunni sources. In order to help the
reader to appreciate the reliability and authenticity of the references
utilized in this discussion, the bibliography presented here has been annotated,
and Shi'ah and Sunni sources have been duly classified.

Reference:

Babawayh, Shaykh as-Sadiq bin Ja’far Muhammad bin 'Ali (d. 381AH.), ManLiYahduruhul-Faqeeh,
Najaf, Iraq: Matba'ah an-Najaf, 1376 A.H. A source book considered being one of
the four original collections of Shi’ah Hadith.

Khomeini, Ayatullah, Tahreeral-Waseelah, Najaf, Iraq: Matba'ah al-Adab, 1390 A.H. A
most voluminous work on Shi'ah fiqh by the recent Shi’ah imam and leader of the Iranian revolution. It
consists of two volumes, consisting of 656 and 650 pages, respectively.

"According to Imam al-Mahdi this book is kafi [sufficient] for
our Shi'ahs."

Muslehuddin, M., Mut’ah, Lahore, Pakistan: Islamic Publication Ltd., 1974,
A contemporary book that discusses the illegality of mut’ah according to the Qur’an and the sunnah.

Muslim, lbn al-Hajjaj (d. 261 A.H.)SaheehMuslim, Delhi, India: Alsah Almatabi, 1349 A.H. A source
book of Sunni hadith containing 12,000 original collections. It is regarded to
be the most reliable work after al-Bukhari.

Qudsi, Syed M. Jafar, IjalaHasna, Lahore, Pakistan: Imamia General Book Agency, n.d.
An Urdu translation of Mullah Biqir Majlisi’s book on mut’ah. Several different editions of the
book have been published in India and Pakistan.

Tusi, Shaykh Abu Ja'far (d. 460 A.H.), Tahtheeb al-Ahkam,Tehran, Iran: Dar
al-kutub al-lslamiyyah, n.d. A source book of Shi'ah Hadith. It is considered to be one of the
four original collections of Shi'ah hadith.